3c Deep Violet, Bluish (359). Deep rich color and proof-like impression on nicely blued paper, face-free strike of Brooklyn N.Y. circular datestamp at upper right

FINE. THE 3-CENT ON BLUISH PAPER IS THE RAREST OF THE REGULARLY-ISSUED BLUISH PAPERS IN USED CONDITION. ONLY FOUR USED EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS, AND THIS IS THE FIRST WE HAVE OFFERED SINCE KEEPING COMPUTERIZED RECORDS..

A total of 40 sheets (4,000 stamps) were printed of the 3c on Bluish paper, using four different printing plates. A quantity was inadvertently distributed to various post offices, including the post office in New York, which accounts for the Brooklyn cancel. A small quantity was apparently used, but these have almost all been lost to philately.

Our census of Scott 359 in used condition, illustrated below and available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/359/359.pdf , records three used copies plus one on cover. A fourth off-cover example needs to be reexamined for authenticity. This makes it as rare, or rarer, than the 5c on bluish, which catalogues three times as much.

Census No. 359-CAN-01. With 1992 and 2009 P.S.E. certificates.

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